Container Having Automatically Opening and Closing Lid

Abstract

A container having an automatically opening and closing lid and for storing various contents is disclosed. To this end, the present invention includes: an outer container (10); an inner container (20); a contents container (30); an upper lid (40) having an upper lid body (41), a contents supply hole (42), an opening and closing piece (43), and an opening and closing piece actuating portion (44); and a lower support (50) comprised of an upper fixed member (51) and a lower actuating member (55). Therefore, the present invention can be used without a separate opening and closing operation of the lid and thus is highly convenient and sanitary.

1 . A container having an automatically opening and closing lid, the container comprising:
 a hollow-shaped outer container ( 10 );   an inner container ( 20 ) inserted into the outer container and configured to be elastically movable upward and downward by a tension member ( 70 ) inserted between the outer container ( 10 ) and the inner container;   a contents container ( 30 ) inserted into the inner container ( 20 ) and fixedly coupled to the outer container ( 10 ), the contents container being charged with contents therein;   an upper lid ( 40 ) having a cap-shaped upper lid body ( 41 ) coupled to an upper portion of the outer container, a contents supply hole ( 42 ) formed through an upper side portion of the upper lid body, an opening and closing piece ( 43 ) provided over the contents supply hole, and an opening and closing piece actuating portion ( 44 ) configured to open and close the contents supply hole by allowing the opening and closing piece to horizontally slide in cooperation with an upward and downward movement of the inner container ( 20 ); and   a lower support ( 50 ) comprised of an upper fixed member ( 51 ) fixedly coupled to a lower portion of the outer container, and a lower actuating member ( 55 ) coupled to a lower portion of the upper fixed member and configured to be moved upward and downward in cooperation with the movement of the inner container ( 20 ),   wherein when the outer container ( 10 ) is lifted from a surface, the inner container ( 20 ) is moved downward by the tension member ( 70 ), and when the outer container is put down on a surface, the inner container is moved back upward while compressing the tension member ( 70 ), whereby the opening and closing piece ( 43 ) automatically opens and closes the contents supply hole ( 42 ).   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the contents container ( 30 ) has a discharge port ( 32 ) formed in an upper side portion thereof; the discharge port ( 32 ) is inserted and fixed in a coupling hole ( 12 ) formed in an upper side portion of the outer container ( 10 ); and a sealing cap ( 45 ) is coupled to the opening and closing piece ( 43 ) at a location corresponding to the contents supply hole ( 42 ), and a ring-shaped sealing member ( 33 ) is inserted into the contents supply hole ( 42 ) and into the discharge port ( 32 ) of the contents container so as to cooperate with the sealing cap ( 45 ) in an airtight manner. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing piece actuating portion ( 44 ) is provided at left and right sides thereof with a fixed member ( 44   a ) and a movable member ( 44   b ) connected to the opening and closing piece ( 43 ) and having an inclined portion ( 44   b - 1 ), with an elastic spring ( 46 ) inserted between the fixed and movable members, and a stopper ( 23 ) of the inner container is provided on a front side of the inclined surface ( 44   b - 1 ) of the movable member ( 44   b ) in close contact therewith, such that the movable member ( 44   b ) moves the opening and closing piece ( 43 ) while being moved leftward and rightward in cooperation with the upward and downward movement of the inner container. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the fixed member ( 44   a ) and the movable member ( 44   b ) are engaged with each other by rails ( 47   a ) and rail grooves ( 47   b ) so as to guide a sliding movement, and the fixed member ( 44   a ) has a supporting plate ( 44   a - 2 ) provided at a lower portion thereof and inserted and fixed in a lower portion of the upper lid body ( 41 ), and a tube ( 44   a - 1 ) provided at a side portion of the supporting plate and inserted and fixed in the coupling hole ( 12 ) formed at the upper side portion of the outer container ( 10 ) together with the discharge port ( 32 ). 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing piece ( 43 ) of the upper lid ( 40 ) is inserted into a guide groove ( 41   a ) formed horizontally in the upper portion of the upper lid body ( 41 ) so as to be moved along the guide groove, and the opening and closing piece ( 43 ) and the movable member ( 44   b ) are assembled by a coupling protrusion ( 48   a ) and a coupling groove ( 48   b ). 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lower actuating member ( 55 ) of the lower support ( 50 ) has an insertion tube ( 56 ) provided at an upper center thereof and guide walls ( 57 ) circumferentially provided at equiangular locations outside the insertion tube, and the insertion tube and the guide walls are respectively coupled to an insertion hole ( 52 ) formed in a center of the upper fixed member ( 51 ) and guide holes ( 53 ) circumferentially formed at locations outside the insertion hole so as to be moved upward and downward therealong, wherein an upward and downward movement distance of the insertion tube and the guide walls is limited by a stop protrusion ( 57   a ) protruding from a side portion of each of the guide walls and by a vertical guide groove ( 54   a ) vertically formed in a partition wall ( 54 ) provided inside the upper fixed member and along which each of the stop protrusions is vertically moved. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein a locking groove ( 54   b ) is connected to an upper portion of each of the vertical guide grooves ( 54   a ) by horizontally extending in a circumferential direction such that when the stop protrusions ( 57   a ) are inserted into the locking grooves, an upward and downward movement of the upper fixed member and the lower actuating member is limited. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lower actuating member ( 55 ) of the lower support ( 50 ) has a suction plate ( 61 ) assembled to a lower surface thereof and having a suction hole ( 62 ) formed in the center of an upper portion thereof, and the suction plate is configured such that when the outer container is put down on a surface, an actuating protrusion ( 36 ) of a lower cap coupled to a lower portion of the contents container is inserted into the suction hole ( 62 ) to close the suction hole, thus creating suction, and when the outer container is lifted from a surface, the actuating protrusion ( 36 ) of the lower cap is separated from the suction hole ( 62 ), thus releasing suction. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the lower cap ( 35 ) has a guide tube ( 37 ) protruding from a lower portion thereof outside the actuating protrusion ( 36 ) and inserted into an insertion tube ( 56 ) of the lower actuating member so as to be moved upward and downward therealong, and the guide tube ( 37 ) has slits ( 37   a ) vertically formed therethrough at equiangular locations.